


Tallying Up

by Fortune_Maiden



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Family Fluff, Gen, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, post-kh3
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-05
Updated: 2020-04-05
Packaged: 2021-03-01 03:08:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,443
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23387869
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fortune_Maiden/pseuds/Fortune_Maiden
Summary: A simple argument forces Ienzo to reevaluate his relationship with Even.
Relationships: Even & Ienzo (Kingdom Hearts)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 45
Collections: Radiant Garden Family Exchange





	Tallying Up

**Author's Note:**

  * For [spiritqueenie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/spiritqueenie/gifts).



> For spiritqueenie
> 
> Your prompt was a lot of fun to work with. I hope you enjoy this fic

When Demyx had left for Abrabah a week ago, the castle had had its usual harmony. The guards guarded, the scientists scienced, and all was well.

When Demyx came back, however, something had changed. Tension and unease had gripped ~~Ansem the Wise and~~ his apprentices (actually, just the apprentices on a second glance). What had been casual conversations now turned into clipped quips, and, reminiscent of the Organization days, no one wanted to tell him what happened.

He suspected the suspicious whiteboard that had appeared in the lab with Even and Ansem’s names and a series of tally marks had something to do with it.

“It’s nothing to worry about,” Ansem said calmly, and easily steered the conversation to Demyx’s last trip with ice cream in hand.

“Just throw a water clone at it,” Ienzo snapped, and refused to meet his eyes.

“Throw several,” was Dilan’s helpful addition.

“Do so, and I will personally throw _you_ out of this castle,” Even yelled, more at Ienzo and Dilan than Demyx really, but Demyx wasn’t about to test that out.

“It’s complicated,” was Aeleus’ tired answer, which was probably the closest to _an_ answer Demyx got but still told him a whole lot of nothing.

So all that remained was for Demyx to stare at the whiteboard, and wonder what it was that was being tallied and how it was possible that Even was _winning_.

* * *

_Earlier that week…_

No one knew exactly how it started (though most agreed that whatever the cause, it was stupid). Nor could anyone had predicted that things would get so out of hand.

For Aeleus and Dilan, the earliest sign that something was amiss was walking into a long, heated argument between Even and Ienzo that only differed from the usual long, heated arguments in that Ienzo wasn’t fighting back, and instead looking for any excuse to get away. His face was also flushed red, thought the exact emotion that redness indicated was unclear.

Aeleus did his duty of stepping in, but all it accomplished was giving Ienzo that escape he wanted (for which Ienzo was thankful) and turning Even’s ire onto him (for which Even was less thankful).

The words “ungrateful, unappreciative brat” may have come up, but all of that was still the usual fare.

The whiteboard appeared the next day.

“You’re serious?” Dilan voiced what they all were thinking as Even explained the purpose of the whiteboard and the two names he’d written at the top.

“I am very serious,” Even replied glaring at him. “I think it’s important we all, as a group, firmly iron out any misunderstandings and establish the facts.”

“The facts being that you, more so than anyone else here, are Ienzo’s guardian,” Aeleus stated casting a sidelong glance at the guarded in question. The redness on Ienzo’s face had long since been identified as embarrassment, and he now avoided all eye contact. Aeleus sighed.

“You know I’m sure there’s a piece of paper out there that says otherwise,” Dilan pointed out. “It may even still exist.”

“It does,” Ienzo muttered mutinously.

“That’s unimportant,” Even said. “What’s important is that _I_ am the one who took care of the boy more than Master Ansem ever did, so _I_ should be the one recognized as such!”

“ _Why_?” Dilan asked in disbelief.

“Where is Master Ansem anyway?” Aeleus crossed his arms. “Should he not be a part of this, er, discussion?”

“No,” Even said with a wave of his hand, a telling sign. “He’s not the one we need to convince. That would be this ungrateful brat.”

Ienzo turned even further away from them.

“Where did this “we” come from?” Dilan scowled. “What do I care who’s getting dad-of-the-year mugs around here?”

“Really, Even, this all seems a little unnecessary…”

“It is very necessary,” Even declared. “Who took care of the boy’s studies? I did.” He drew a line under his name on the whiteboard. “Who dropped everything and rushed off to find him whenever he wandered off?” Another line. “Made sure he ate anything other than ice cream?” Another line.

Even continued to rattle off a list of things he’d done as Ienzo buried his face in his hands. It was at this point that Aeleus thought to ask what prompted all of this, but both parties refused to answer. Dilan got up and left the moment Even’s back was turned. Ienzo, using Aeleus as cover, eventually did the same.

And Aeleus, feeling some pity towards the increasingly disparaged Master Ansem, decided to stay behind and voice a few points on his behalf. He thought that once Even got it all out of his system, he’d be more open to a reasonable discussion.

He thought wrong.

By the next morning there were 23 tallies in Even’s favor to Ansem’s 6.

* * *

“ _That’s_ what this is about?” Demyx could only gape in disbelief as the story _finally_ came out. Even, as it turned out, was perfectly willing to explain what the tally chart was when Ienzo and Dilan weren’t around to antagonize him. He was also perfectly willing to go through each of the 23 tallies under his name, and how much each one meant to him. Demyx probably learned more about him and Ienzo in that one afternoon than he had in their previous decade of acquaintanceship. 

“We’re not fighting,” Even said bitterly, “But it _is_ important for children to know who their proper authority figures are.”

Demyx, who was not an expert on children in any way, shape, or form, could only point out, “He’s not a child anymore though?”

“He should know even better then. With all I’ve done for him, is a little appreciation really so much to ask for?”

“Probably not,” Demyx conceded, scratching the back of his head awkwardly. Not that he understood it either way. It wasn’t like he had a frame of reference to draw on.

What he did understand though was that Even did seem genuinely hurt by the lack of acknowledgment on Ienzo’s part, and that was something Demyx could relate to. It wasn’t particularly his problem, but as a fellow benchwarmer and partner-in-crime, Demyx had somewhat come to see Even as a friend. This was the kind of thing friends helped with, right?

“How ‘bout I talk to him then?” Demyx offered brightly. He and Ienzo got along well enough, right?

“I fail to see how you’ll succeed where the rest of us failed,” Even retorted, but he did not, Demyx noted, completely reject the idea.

* * *

“No.” Ienzo completely rejected the idea.

“Come _oooon_ ,” Demyx whined, leaning over the book Ienzo tried to ignore him with. “You don’t even have to, like, mean it! Just give Vexy a hug and a #1 Dad mug or something.”

“This is ridiculous.”

“Exactly!” Demyx said waving his arms. “This whole thing is ridiculous, and you guys need to do something about it.”

“This isn’t your concern.” Ienzo snapped his book shut and got up to put it back on the shelf. Demyx followed, keenly aware that Ienzo would pretend to pick out another book for as long as it took Demyx to go away. Under normal circumstances, that would have probably been enough.

“I told Vexy I would help, so it is my concern now,” he said. “So there.”

“Then tell _Even_ you tried, you failed, and he should let it go.”

“Why are you so against acknowledging his parenting or whatever?”

Ienzo didn’t answer. He did, however, move to a different shelf.

“From the sound of those 23 tallies, he did a lot for you.”

Still no answer.

“I never even knew you were, like 8 when you joined the Organization. I’m having such a hard time picturing you in, like, a tiny Organization coat. And, sure, you and Vexy often worked together, but I just thought that was you guys doing sciency things the rest of us didn’t get…well, okay, it probably was that, but I would never have guessed he was also basically your dad—

“He’s _not._ ” Ienzo snapped, whirling around to face Demyx with a severe expression on his face. “Don’t call him that.”

“Why not?”

“Because he’s not… _that_ ,” Ienzo, who was normally very chatty (when he wasn’t annoyed at everyone around him), suddenly struggled with his words. Catching his outburst, he took a deep breath and turned back to the shelf.

He didn’t pretend to search it anymore.

“So what is he then?” Demyx asked quietly after a moment. He expected to be ignored again, but surprisingly Ienzo answered.

“He’s a colleague,” Ienzo said. “Who happened to know me since I was a child. Who was _occasionally_ tasked with keeping an eye on me. Who took it far more seriously than expected or needed.”

Though his hair hid a good part of it, Demyx could see a thoughtful expression cross Ienzo’s face as he likely went through memories he’d long tried not to think about.

“Perhaps “Teacher” would be more apt in this scenario then,” he muttered, talking mostly to himself at that point. “But if that’s the case, then that makes…”

Demyx knew now that he’d stepped into something he probably shouldn’t have. He’d originally found the whole situation absurd and everyone’s reactions overblown and just wanted things to go back to normal. He also fully expected to _fail_ and report those disappointing but expected results back. He didn’t expect to hit on just the right points to make Ienzo open up.

He hadn’t actually _wanted_ to do so.

Ienzo continued to mutter, loud enough for Demyx to hear him, but quiet enough to make him think that maybe it would be fine if he slipped away now. Maybe he could go grab Even and have him listen to this and they could have their decades-late heart to heart that way. This was what Even basically wanted, right?

Demyx decided that was a good plan. He stepped back to get out of Ienzo’s field of vision, but before he could open a dark corridor to make his plan a reality, he spotted another figure a few shelves away.

The white-robed figure watched the two of them intently with a knowing smile, but before Demyx could react, their eyes met, and the eavesdropper held up a hand to stay his alert.

Demyx looked at him and then back to Ienzo. Now he really wanted to make his escape.

“The thing is,” Ienzo spoke up, this time his words were intended for Demyx, “things were very different when we were Nobodies. Back then we were all colleagues—equals—working towards a shared goal, and that goal was all that mattered. Maybe Even feels differently now, but I…I can’t just suddenly rethink my relationship with the others—with him—and I’m not the feeling… _feelings_ type and—

“On the contrary, Ienzo,” a new voice cut in, instantly shutting Ienzo up. “The “feeling feelings” type is exactly what you are now.”

Ansem the Wise took suddenly stepped out from the bookcase he was standing behind.

“Master Ansem?” Ienzo’s eyes widened and he turned to Demyx. “Was he there this whole time?”

“Don’t look at me, I just noticed too!”

“I’ve been here long enough,” Ansem said with a chuckle. “I didn’t intend to eavesdrop, but…”

“No, it’s fine,” Ienzo stammered, with a tone of someone who did not think it was fine at all. “I don’t suppose you can forget everything you heard.”

“Well, I _could_ , but I fail to see how that would help.”

“It would help immensely,” Ienzo assured him.

“If you wish to continue bottling things up, perhaps,” Ansem agreed. “But I think it would be better if we talked it out. Things have gotten a little… _testy_ this week.”

“I apologize for the trouble,” Ienzo replied earnestly. His attitude towards his mentor was completely different from his attitude towards anyone else, Demyx thought wryly. “I do fully intend to make up with Even.”

“I do not doubt that. You two have been through far too much to fall apart over this,” Ansem said. “But it’s not easy to suddenly have to confront all of the things he’s done for you.”

“I can confront them,” Ienzo countered. “Just…not in the way he wants me to.”

“Alright,” Ansem agreed, stepping closer. “Then how do _you_ want to confront them?”

“I don’t know,” Ienzo answered honestly, in a bitter tone. “It’d be one thing if he’d left it at that, but then he dragged everyone else into it and made that tally chart.”

 _That?_ Demyx, who had been fully prepared to slip away, suddenly stopped. Come to think of it, Even had explained the tally chart to him and what he was trying to prove with it, but he’d never said what suddenly prompted it.

Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to stick around a short distance away. He’d already gotten involved more than he should have, so it only made sense to see it through to the end. Only the old Demyx would give up on things halfway through, he thought in self-satisfaction.

“Even has his way of doing things,” Ansem said. “I suppose to him it was important to also have someone else in his corner.”

“Except he only succeeded in spectacularly isolating himself further,” Ienzo remarked flippantly. “What did he even expect, trying to pit Dilan and Aeleus against you?”

But Ansem was undeterred. “Let me put it another way then,” he said calmly, and placed a firm hand on Ienzo’s shoulder. “I agree with Even.”

Ienzo looked up. “You do?”

“Yes. And as flattered as I am that you think so highly of me, I think Even deserves at least as much of that respect. He was there for you when I wasn’t.”

“But that wasn’t your fault!”

“Perhaps, but that does not change the past. You became the person you are under his tutelage not mine.”

Ienzo looked conflicted. Perhaps that was oversimplifying things, and there were a great many of number of influences that shaped him to be the person he was. He didn’t argue though and simply hung his head.

“I’m not saying you have to completely re-evaluate your relationship with Even,” Ansem said, “but at the very least, you know what started all of this and why he’s upset.”

“I know,” Ienzo replied. “I acknowledge that it was a poor choice of words on my part.”

“Mm?”

“And a poor choice of actions.”

“Then you should also know what you have to do now.”

Ienzo let out a long heavy sigh. He didn’t say anything further, brushed Ansem’s hand off, gave a polite bow, and ran off.

* * *

“We need to talk.”

Ienzo barged into the computer room with those words and more hostility than he’d intended. Fortunately, the latter could be explained by the ongoing argument between him and Even and not the mess of emotions welling up within him.

Although with Even glancing up from the screen before returning to it with a sharp “I’m listening”, that hostility was likely to spill over.

“I’m sorry,” Ienzo said quickly. He liked to think he wasn’t one to mince words, and though he enjoyed a good discussion, this felt like something that needed to be over and done with.

Even did not agree and turned around with an incredulous look on his face.

“I’m sorry, I think I misheard. Can you repeat that?” It was actually hard to tell if he was being sarcastic. But for the sake of ending things quickly, Ienzo decided not to be.

“I said, I’m sorry. About before.”

“Did Demyx send you?”

Ienzo frowned. “Well, not exactly, but we did speak…”

“Really? Fascinating,” Even said it more to himself, and chuckled. “You really _can’t_ underestimate a fool…”

“Excuse me?”

“Just a theory I’m working on. Don’t worry about it.” Even waved his hand dismissively and turned back around. Ienzo was definitely worried about it, but he wasn’t quite sure why. In the end, Demyx hadn’t actually done anything, had he? Master Ansem was the one who spurred Ienzo to apologize.

“If you understand your fault and won’t do it again, you’re forgiven,” Even continued before Ienzo could point that part out. When he didn’t say anything else, Ienzo could only stare.

“Is that it then?” Ienzo asked cautiously. “Just like that?”

“Is it not? All you had to do was accept that you were wrong.”

“Then what was all that about you being my true guardian and… _this?”_ he gestured at the whiteboard even though Even’s back was turned. He understood what was being pointed at though and turned to the whiteboard.

“ _That_ was facts and logic,” Even explained. “You’d never accept it otherwise.”

“I don’t accept it now,” Ienzo snapped. He was a fool to think thinks were ever so simple with Even. “You dragged Dilan, Aeleus, and even Demyx into a stupid argument, put us all on edge for nearly a week, and put together this…this _list_ of all the reasons why you consider yourself better than Master Ansem—

“I don’t consider myself better than Master Ansem,” Even cut him off harshly. “Just someone who did more than him when it came to you.”

“That wasn’t his fault!”

“No,” Even agreed, the venom in his voice had lessened, but he looked at Ienzo with a sharp expression. “Which is why I only counted things from when we all lived in the castle together.”

“And yet still came up with so many?” Ienzo had snuck out partway through that whole charade so he only knew what a few of the tallies represented. He didn’t know what Ansem’s tallies meant at all. But he refused to believe Even wouldn’t list every single thing that came to mind over the past decade.

Ienzo was prepared to start the argument anew, but Even spoke first.

“Master Ansem took you in because he wanted you give you a home and a family,” he explained with a tired sigh. “All of that is commendable of course, and he is deserving of all the affection you give him and then some, but the reality was that between his own research projects and the duties of a king, he had little time left to take care of a child.”

Ienzo glared at him. “And so, you took it upon youself?”

“I merely noticed you had a decent head on your shoulders and didn’t want to see that go to waste.”

Ienzo couldn’t help but think about all of the trouble that “decent head” of his had caused. It wasn’t something he had the right to dwell on, however. The past was the past.

“And perhaps I got a little attached somewhere along the way.”

“I see,” Ienzo said, still maintaining an edge to his voice. “If I said I really do appreciate it, would you believe me?”

“If you could show it sometimes, maybe.”

“I’m bad at showing these things, Even,” Ienzo said, also suddenly feeling too tired to argue. “Maybe that’s something I picked up from you.”

“The way I’d asked you to show it was hardly worth the dramatics,” Even replied pointedly.

“Touché,” Ienzo remarked, sneaking a glance at the whiteboard. If that wasn’t a symbol of all the dramatics of their argument, he didn’t know what was. “But, you’re right. You’ve done a lot for me both back then and in the decade that followed. I was disrespectful. I’m sorry, Even. Truly. I really do think of you as a guardian-figure.” He wondered if he was supposed to run up and hug Even now, but he found that Even was struggling maintain an aloof expression. He probably didn’t know quite how to deal with this either.

“Like I said, as you long as you understand, and will demonstrate that understanding in the future, there’s no longer any reason to discuss it. You can hurry up and erase that now,” Even said. “And just so you know, this doesn’t suddenly mean we’re father and son or anything!”

“Certainly not!” Ienzo agreed. He picked up the eraser, but as he took one final look at the tally chart, a sly smile graced his lips. “Considering what these tallies represent, clearly, you’re the mother.”

* * *

“By the way, Boss,” Demyx asked shortly after Ienzo had left the library. “What _did_ start all this anyway?”

Ansem smiled and it looked like he was trying to hold back his laughter.

“Sometime last week, I asked Ienzo to put away the tools he’d left lying around in the computer room. Apparently Even had been telling him to do that for days and was, shall we say, nonplussed by the difference in attitude and Ienzo’s attempts to justify it.”

Of course.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed!


End file.
